A few years back, I went to Mexico with two friends from there, Ruben and Fabio. We had about a month, and they were going to show me the highlights of Mexico and the real Mexico. We didn’t see everywhere, but we knocked off a huge chunk of the country.
Mexico City
We started in Mexico City where I stayed in Fabio’s guesthouse. It was really neat, staying in a nice big house that was constructed with typical Mexican architecture. We enjoyed the food, drank Pulque, an alcoholic beverage, made from Agave with a thick texture and amazing flavour. Pulque is very cheap and at one time was known as the working classes drink, and many workers would go out for Pulque at a local bar after work. We drank the Pulque in a small local bar that was covered in graffiti and smelled of urine. It was a wicked experience. In addition to Pulque, another signature of Mexico City are the Pastor Tacos. These are amazing and the best taco’s I have ever had.
Asides from drinking and eating, we explored the past and wandered through the Aztec ruins. When people think of the indigenous Mexican population, they usually think of Mayan’s in the Yucatan peninsula in Cancun and Tulum. But Mexico City’s past is Aztec, and you can visit the ruins in the heart of the city at Templo Mayor. We explored the city, experienced a bit of the nightlife, and even went for a day to Teotihuacan which was easy to get to from the city. Teotihuacan was amazing, the pyramids were massive and the ruins surrounding all the pyramids were magical. The views from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun were breathtaking. In addition, there were plenty of unique souvenirs to purchase in Teotihuacan. There is plenty of history, amazing food, a good nightlife and lots to do in the vibrant and busy streets of Mexico City.
San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato
From Mexico City, we had a short stop at San Miguel de Allende in Fabio’s vacation home and Guanajuato. San Miguel was beautiful, but we mostly just enjoyed the weather and the pool in the countryside. We went into the market a couple of times and went into town at night and had some rooftop drinks. We also checked out a few churches. And then in Guanajuato, we explored the city, had a few drinks, including Pulque and marvelled at some amazing views. It was a beautiful city and I wish I had more time to explore even more.
Guadalajara, Chapala and Tequila Town
Then we headed to Ruben’s home town of Guadalajara. Guadalajara is another bustling city like Mexico City. It has a good economy, is safe and has lots of things to do. Also, there are parts that feel almost like Europe in Mexico. The food was good and some of the highlight dishes we had here was Birria, a heavily marinated strew (usually goat) which is cooked underground and extremely flavourful. In Mexico City the Pastor tacos were amazing, in Guadalajara some of the best tacos are Barbacoa.
I am not a museum guy, but while wondering the city and the plazas we visited Hospicio Cabana which hosts a number of famous and fascinating murals and artwork. It was a very cool art museum. We ate at the Plaza de los Mariachis which was a cool experience but nothing special. Another cool neighborhood we explored was Tlaquepaque, a very old, charming, and colourful neighborhood of Guadalajara.
And of course, in Guadalajra, we explored the nightlife. We went to Bar America’s which was a wild nightclub with a number of sketchy characters lurking in the shadows. Ruben and Fabio left early and left me with our buddy from Spain, Carlos. Carlos wanted to stay all night, but I eventually wanted to go back and get a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately, there was a monster rainstorm which caused flooding in the streets while we were there. It was hard to get a cab as most drivers didn’t want to drive in those conditions and the ones who did would of taken me to who knows where. Finally, Carlos helped me find a cab that I had to drastically overpay for. The windows were fogged up and the driver could barely see, he kept having to use a dirty old rag to unfog his windows. We couldn’t find Rubens house and my phone was dead. I was in the right vicinity, so I decided to get out. But as I walked and walked, I couldn’t find the house. It began to rain some more and I was panicking. It felt like hours, it was 3 AM and I was wandering Guadalajara like a drunken maniac, trying to wave down cars yelling “necesito ayuda!” After what seemed like hours, I finally stumbled across Ruben’s house. That was one of the scariest moments I had travelling through Latin America. I didn’t know Ruben or Fabio’s phone numbers off the top of my head and my phone was dead, what the hell was I going to do? Well it took a while and I got soaked, but I eventually found where we had to go.
There was lots to do in Guadalajara but I didn’t like it as much as Mexico City. But Guadalajara was a great starting point for other locations like Chapala and Tequila town. We stayed a couple of nights in Chapala, it is a small and charming lake town and has Mexico’s largest fresh water lake. Also, we went on a day trip to Tequila town which was amazing. The town is charming, very neat looking and has the feel of a typical Mexican town. Also, the Tequila that you can buy from street vendors is extremely cheap and extremely tasty. We then had a tequila processing and tasting tour. It was interesting and fun and is offered in both English and Spanish. I ended up hanging out with a guy from Juarez during the tour. We drank more than we should have and during the tasting we drank all our drinks before we were supposed to. We pissed off a few of the other tourists and that was one of the last things I remembered until I woke up passed out on the bench at the bus depot. We got a ride to the bus depot, took a bus to Tequila and then did the same thing on our way home, except I was a lot drunker now.
Manzanillo
After Guadalajara and the surrounding regions, we headed to Manzanillo. At one point, Manzanillo was supposed to become another Puerto Vallarta but it never took off. It is on the Pacific coast, has big waves and good weather. The only problem is that it’s in Colima, the state with the highest murder rate in Mexico. We were told to be very careful and advised against going out at night there. Asides from going out for dinners, which the good was amazing by the way, that’s about all we did outside of relaxing in the condo during the evenings. We went to one place for dinner that was known for its extra-large burritos. They were authentic Mexican but made the American way, stuffed with meat, cheese and sauce and humungous. It was delicious.
We spent most of our 4 days in Manzanillo relaxing at the pool in Ruben’s condo overlooking the beach, or on the beach in front of the condo itself. We also went to the main beach one day which was really fun. The water was nice, there were plenty of vendors selling food and alcohol at great prices and we went jet skiing, which was cheaper than most other places in Mexico. Snorkeling was fun too, and surprisingly we saw a ton of colourful fish. I guess that is one benefit with Manzanillo never really taking off as a tourist hot spot. The only tourists that go there are Mexicans. We also went into town, ate some amazing shrimp tacos, took pictures with the Manzanillo sign.
While in town, climbed the mountain overlooking the city. The locals told us we needed to go early due to the heat. But, we slept in and ended up going in the afternoon. The climb was hell, we didn’t bring enough water and were all on the verge of dehydration, heatstroke, and maybe even death. But at the top, the view was amazing and we even discovered a beautiful private beach on the other side. We had to check out the beach, the only problem…. We had to climb back up the mountain again. By the time we climbed up, climbed down, then up, then down again we were on our deathbeds. But nothing beat the water bottle and the popsicle we got from the grungy little convenience store at the bottom of the mountain where we came out. And the beach was spectacular, asides from the litter that washed up from the current.
Oaxaca
After Manzanillo we were off the Oaxaca which was a completely different experience than the rest of
our destinations. Oaxaca is in southern Mexico and is a state along with the capital city being Oaxaca City. Apparently, the beaches are much more untouched and in the wild. I didn’t go to the beaches but they are apparently beautiful and Oaxaca is where you find Huatulco and Puerto Escondido. But asides from those beaches, the town of Oaxaca is a small and charming town with a different feel than other parts of Mexico. It feels more indigenous. The food in the region is different, and it was good, but not as good as many other parts of Mexico. The town is small and safe, and although there isn’t a ton of bars, the nightlife was still good. Through our hostel, we took a tour of the town and learned some of the unique history and we just walked around and explored the charming streets.
We went to Hierve el Agua, a series of hot springs and calcified waterfalls in the mountains. The views were amazing and the hot springs were relaxing but slightly packed. It was a good day that was spoiled by vegans on our way back. It was a long day and the driver of our tour van was going to take us to one of his favorite buffets on the way back to Oaxaca City. There was a group of 3 vegans who complained heavily about the lack of vegan options in the buffet. Keep in mind, we were in Mexico, it isn’t very vegan friendly. The price was cheap, around $10. They didn’t want to pay, so instead the van went hungry. You can bet the Germans in our group weren’t happy and neither was I. You don’t go to Mexico as a vegan and expect the culture to change and everyone on the tour to accommodate you when the options are limited and you’re starving.
Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun
Then from Oaxaca it was back to the beaten path. We were going to finish our trip in Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun. We flew into Cancun but from there took a shuttle to our hostel in Tulum where we stayed for two nights.
Tulum was beautiful. We went to the ruins, which were nice, but paled in comparison to Teotihuacan in my opinion. It was bloody hot, and in summer there is a problem with the Sargassum seaweed in the region. So despite the views of the water from the ruins, it was less than breathtaking with the seaweed lining the beach. We also visited a secluded beach that was sheltered from the seaweed and enjoyed a bar on the beach and some beautiful Caribbean water. In the area there was also a small cenote in the jungle which was nice. And unlike Cancun or Playa del Carmen, the nightlife scene is smaller and quainter. There is a small strip in downtown Tulum that you can walk and enjoy the touristy things, and then one street that is blocked off for nightlife. A highlight there is Batey Mojito and Guarapo Bar. The bar is famous for it’s mojitos and atmosphere. The décor is nice and the atmosphere is extremely vibrant, plus the mojitos are good. After a mojito or two hop to some of the other clubs and continue the party in the street. Just don’t do what I did and fall through a sewer in the street and get locked out of your hostel and end up sleeping on a bench. Tulum was nice but pricier than the Playa del Carmen and Cancun. The nightlife was fun, but paled in comparison to the other places. If I go back to Mexico, I will probably go there with my fiancé but not with the boys.
Then we got to Playa del Carmen where we stayed in a hostel in town. Playa del Carmen was fun and one of my favorite places. Unfortunately it was hit with the Sargassum too. We ended up going to a beach in town though and it was still fun despite the seaweed. We joined a futbol game on the beach with the locals and had a few drinks. Driving back from the beach, we got pulled over and randomly searched by police and then explored. We also went to the Gran Cenote, which is apparently too packed with tourists, but I had an amazing time. The water was clear and you could swim with the turtles and underneath the bats in the cave, it was a cool experience. We also took a ferry and went to Cozumel one of the days. Cozumel was nice but there wasn’t a lot to do. We had a lunch there, but it was more expensive. But one of the main reasons we went to Cozumel was that it’s location wasn’t affected by the Sargassum, so we got to see the clear blue water.
And one of my favorite parts of Playa del Carmen was the nightlife. We went out drinking at night and wandered around the town. There are tons of people, tons of restaurants, and bars. One of the nights we had some tacos to finish off the night of drinking which sure beats street meat in the USA or Canada. Another night we went to Mandala first. It was a wild party but full of Americans. The music was loud, the place was packed and the drinks were expensive. We decided to take the party to La Vaquita which was much better. Apparently there was a cartel shooting there a few months prior, but no shootings when we were there. The music was all Latin and the bar was packed, this time mostly with locals. It was a wild night, and of course, how was the night topped off? Getting searched by police when I went to an ATM down the street. I was worried because the street was dark and they say that’s when the police will do most of their damage and may even plant something. I got alert and told them lets go where there were more people, they didn’t listen, but I guess my alertness worked because they didn’t plan anything and there was no trouble.
Finally, we were off to Cancun to top off the trip. Everyone raves about Cancun, but lets be honest, it isn’t real Mexico. It is Americanized and full of gringos. When I first got there, I could tell this immediately. It was cool in a sense as it was an adults playground, a Vegas of the Caribbean or sinful like Gomorrah. The food wasn’t really Mexican, it was the Americanized Mexican style, but it was good. Burritos and tacos were big and loaded with ingredients. Drinks were big and flamboyant. And the place was packed full of people, mostly gringos. It was fun, but phony. And in Cancun, they will try to sell you everything. A tour operator called me aside saying, “hey amigo, cocaina?” “No.” “Marijuana?” “No.” “ecstasy?” “No.” “Una Mujer” “No.” “Un hombre?” “No.” And finally, “tattoo?” That was just an example of Cancun and the corruption, everyone has a piece in something and everyone has something to sell. Compared to Playa del Carmen, the cops are better, they won’t randomly pull you over, and they will protect tourists because there is too much at stake for their tourist industry. But the people are pushy, and when you are out late night, partying and walking around solo, you may get yourself into some trouble.
I was only there one night and wanted to stay in the thick of it, so I stayed in Senor Frogs in a shared dorm. I am usually against shared dorms, but it was one night, I had been in Mexico almost a month and needed to save some money. Senor Frogs was rated highly, and I can see why. The hostel was super nice, had a party vibe and clean. Anyways, that night I ended up purchasing an all you can drink pass to The Congo night club. It was a wild night. Free drinks, shots going down constantly and tons of dancing. The music was loud, the drinks were good and the place was packed. It was a cool experience but totally catered towards the young and wild tourists. It was a good night that went way too late and had a few too many sketchy people involved. I had to fly out the next morning, so I should have toned it down and shut it down earlier. The next morning I mistakenly silenced my alarm a number of times, forgetting where I was. When I woke up an hour later it was a mad rush to get to the airport on time. Luckily I was all packed and I made it to the airport on time… just barley anyways.
Mexico is wild and has a ton to offer. The culture, the people and the landscapes are diverse. I encourage anyone going to Mexico to enjoy the food, the culture and even try to go somewhere you weren’t planning to go.
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